Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Push-Ups in Spanish: Flexiones and Lagartijas
Flexiones / Lagartijas · noun (feminine, plural) · flehk-see-OH-nehs / lah-gahr-TEE-hahs
Push-ups in Spanish are flexiones in Spain and lagartijas in Mexico and much of Latin America. The word lagartija literally means small lizard, named for the low, ground-level body position. Flexiones (short for flexiones de brazos) is the more technical term used in fitness contexts worldwide.
Flexiones is flehk-see-OH-nehs, four syllables, stress on OH. Lagartijas is lah-gahr-TEE-hahs, four syllables, stress on TEE.
Hago cincuenta lagartijas todas las mañanas.
I do fifty push-ups every morning.
Push Ups in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for push ups, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| flexiones / lagartijas | push ups | flehk-see-OH-nehs / lah-gahr-TEE-hahs | Default, widely understood |
| planchas | push ups | some Latin American countries — also means ironing or planks |
How Native Speakers Use Flexiones / Lagartijas
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Mexico and Latin America
El entrenador nos puso a hacer treinta lagartijas como calentamiento.
The trainer had us do thirty push-ups as a warm-up.
Lagartijas is the everyday word in Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America.
Spain and formal fitness
Incluye tres series de veinte flexiones en tu rutina diaria.
Include three sets of twenty push-ups in your daily routine.
Flexiones is the standard in Spain and in written fitness programs globally.
Military context
Los reclutas hacen cien flexiones de brazos antes del desayuno.
Recruits do a hundred push-ups before breakfast.
Flexiones de brazos (arm flexions) is the full formal term used in military and physical education.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Flexiones / Lagartijas
Translating literally as empujones hacia arriba
Incorrect: Hice veinte empujones hacia arriba.
Correct: Hice veinte lagartijas.
Push-up does not translate literally. Empujón means a shove or push. The exercise has its own names: lagartijas or flexiones.
Confusing lagartijas (push-ups) with lagartijas (lizards)
Incorrect: Vi lagartijas en el gimnasio. (meaning lizards)
Correct: Hice lagartijas en el gimnasio. (meaning push-ups)
Lagartija means both push-up (exercise) and small lizard (animal). The verb makes the difference: hacer lagartijas (do push-ups) versus ver lagartijas (see lizards).
Lock in Push Ups Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Flexiones / Lagartijas used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using flexiones / lagartijas in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Hago cincuenta lagartijas todas las mañanas. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Push Ups in Spanish
- How do you say push-ups in Spanish?
- Push-ups in Spanish are lagartijas in Mexico and most of Latin America, and flexiones (or flexiones de brazos) in Spain. Both terms are widely understood across the Spanish-speaking world.
- Why are push-ups called lagartijas in Spanish?
- Lagartija means small lizard. The exercise was nicknamed lagartija because the low body position and up-and-down movement resemble a lizard doing push-ups on a wall. The name stuck and is now the standard term in Latin American Spanish.
- What is the difference between flexiones and lagartijas?
- There is no difference in the exercise — both refer to push-ups. Flexiones is used in Spain and formal fitness contexts. Lagartijas is the colloquial term used in Mexico and most of Latin America.